Apples on Trees
by sarahlovestwilightyesshedoes
Summary: Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter Nova is in her fourth year at Hogwarts, and is shunned by her classmates. She hates life, but her new friend Victoire Weasley helps her get a new chance... The life of a Death Eater's daughter. AU - Bellatrix never died.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't worry, "So Small" is still up and running, I just got an idea this afternoon and had to write (well... type) it :)**

**This is takes place in 2013, just so you know.**

**Please review!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

My name is Nova Lestrange, and I am a complete outcast.

My parents, Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, are convicted Death Eaters, and they're doing terms in Azkaban, the wizard prison, at the moment (they got locked up after the Battle of Hogwarts, the same day that Voldemort was killed by Harry Potter). I am beginning my fourth year at Hogwarts, and I can't wait.

Anything to get away from _them_…

_Them _consisted of my uncle, Lucius, and my aunt, Narcissa. I absolutely _hated _them. They were arrogant snobs and even though they treated me well (probably because of my "pure-blood ancestry" that they were so stuck on), I didn't like their attitudes. Not that I wouldtell them that.

I also hated my holier-than-thou cousin Draco, who came around every now and again with his wife, Astoria (who, I had to admit, wasn't so bad), and his bratty seven-year-old son, Scorpius. When they were around, I was completely and utterly ignored. No, I wasn't jealous (far from it), but it just pissed me off that such rotten people were treated so well when _I_, the halfway decent person, was snubbed.

So it came as a relief when September 1st came and I could finally leave for Hogwarts and get away from my shitty family.

I boarded the train with a half-hearted wave to my aunt and uncle, and I soon found an empty compartment and settled down.

An hour passed.

A sharp rap on the door made me jump; I looked up to see a red-haired, harassed-looking Ravenclaw third-year standing by the door. With a sigh, I got up and slid the door open.

"What do you need?" I asked, trying my hardest not to sound rude.

"I was just wondering if… maybe… I could sit with you?" the girl asked.

My eyes widened. Somebody was asking to sit with me? _Me_? The Death Eater's daughter? Did hell freeze over?

"Um, well, yeah… sure." I stepped back to let her through. She smiled and sat down across from where I was sitting before. I resumed my seat and silence fell. The girl was the one to break it.

"So… what's your name?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

She shook her head, a confused expression on her face.

"Wow. I honestly can't believe it." _Everybody _knew who I was, and knew to avoid me at all costs lest I curse them. _People are stupid._

The girl, however, was now glaring at me, her light blue eyes narrowed to slits. "You're a Slytherin, aren't you? Arrogant, self-righteous like always–"

I held up both hands. "No, no! I mean, I _am _in Slytherin, but I'm not any of those things… It just surprised me that you didn't know who I was. Everyone knows to avoid me," I said bitterly.

"Why would they do that?"

_Honestly, does this girl live under a rock?_

"My name is Nova. Nova _Lestrange_." I put emphasis on my last name. I tended to say it with disgust, and I didn't fail to do so this time.

The girl's eyes were like saucers. "Lestrange? I thought the Lestranges were in Azkaban… or maybe dead…"

"They're in Azkaban. My mother, Bellatrix, was pregnant with me when she got locked up. She gave birth to me in prison. I couldn't exactly be raised there, so they sent me to live with my aunt and uncle. I'm pretty sure she doesn't give a damn about me." I scowled; the thought of ever coming in contact with my deranged mother wasn't one that appealed to me. "At least my aunt and uncle care about me a little bit."

Her expression was sympathetic now, and that just made me feel worse; I hated being pitied. "Sorry about that."

I waved my hand dismissively. "It's nothing. I don't want to meet my parents. _Ever_."

"I can't say I blame you," she muttered. "Your mother nearly killed my aunt, according to my grandmother."

I snorted. "Sounds like something she'd do."

There was a pause. "My name is Victoire Weasley."

I cocked my head to the side. _I should've recognized her by the hair…_ I was taught the "signs" for recognizing a Weasley, blood traitors in my family's eyes. I had it engrained in me since birth to not associate with them. Personally, I didn't see what was so wrong with them…

"Weasley? You're a Weasley and notin Gryffindor?"

Victoire laughed. "Don't remind me. My entire family does all the time. The only one who's at least trying to let me live it down is my mother."

I laughed also. After a moment, I asked, "You seemed pretty tormented when you came in here. What happened?"

"My cousins were annoying me," she said simply. "They're family, yeah, but I wish they'd bugger off sometimes…"

I chuckled, remembering some nasty things I'd said to Scorpius on certain occasions while he was being his typical annoying self. "Brother, sister?" I was truly curious.

She shook her head. "No, Louis knows better"–she briefly allowed herself a smirk–"and Dominique won't be starting Hogwarts until next year. But my cousin Fred and my uncle's godson Teddy have also been harassing me as well." She pulled a face.

"You have lots of family here," I observed.

"Yeah, I have a cousin called Molly in second year along with Fred and Louis. And Teddy," she added as an afterthought.

"What Houses are they in?" If I was going to friends with this girl, I may as well get to know her. She really wasn't shunning me… or maybe it was just an act. _Stop being stupid, Nova, you're just being paranoid_, I scolded myself. _Not that I don't have good reason…_

"Well, Molly, Fred, and Louis are in Gryffindor"–_not a surprise_–"and Teddy is in Hufflepuff."

"Cool." I smiled.

She raised a thin red eyebrow. "You don't have anything against us? I mean… we're 'blood traitors' in your family's eyes…"

"I'm not like the rest of my relatives. I don't show it in front of them, just to keep the peace, but I don't agree with them. Period. I'm only in Slytherin because the Hat said it was my 'birthright' and that I was 'resourceful' and 'clever' and knew how to look out for myself." I rolled my eyes. "Otherwise I might have been in… Gryffindor, maybe," I mused.

Victoire nodded. "Yeah, makes sense. You're bold enough." She smiled.

I smiled back – tentatively, nervously, but I did. I actually had a friend. Somebody who wouldn't judge me because of the horrible people my parents were. _And probably still are._ Victoire was actually giving a chance, something my other classmates wouldn't grant me.

She didn't know how grateful and appreciative I was for that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter :D I'm on a roll!**

**Just a little information on Nova before the chapter :) (I wanted to put this in the first chapter but forgot too)**

_In a nutshell, she's her mother's spitting image, as much as she hates it - black hair, dark eyes and a strong jaw. The classic good looks of the Black family, though she lacks her mother's arrogant bearing. The one thing she inherited from Rodolphus was his stubborn personality and the way she always tries to do the right thing by herself. (That probably wasn't canon, since there isn't much on Rodolphus) She doesn't let anyone boss her around. She's not sadistic like Bellatrix, but let one thing be known: she definitely has her temper. You have been warned.  
_

_Her wand's properties: birch and unicorn hair, 11"  
_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

When we arrived at Hogwarts and climbed into the carriages that pulled themselves, everyone avoided me, as usual. I was actually pretty used to it by now, but it still bothered me. I hated that people treated me like I was a reincarnation of my parents or something.

It felt good to let out some steam to Victoire. For some reason, I trusted her like I had never trusted anyone before. I didn't even trust Uncle Lucius or Aunt Narcissa – if I told them about how much I hated my mother and how I was ashamed of her for joining the ranks of Lord Voldemort, I would be told that I should proud of her and how she did the right thing, and I didn't want to hear it.

We arrived at the school shortly. Once we filed into the Great Hall, I waved to Victoire and we went our different ways, me to the Slytherin table and her to Ravenclaw's.

The Sorting was long and drawn-out as usual, and I actually felt myself slowly falling asleep. I snapped out of it when our Headmistress, Lyra Davis, spoke.

"Now that our new students have been Sorted"–she smiled serenely at the students filling the Great Hall, her moss green eyes twinkling–"we can all eat the meal that our chefs have prepared us." Not many people knew that our chefs were actually house-elves. "Tuck in, dears!"

Our food appeared out of thin air onto the plates, and nobody said much as everyone starting eating. Once people actually started coming up for air, they were laughing and chattering away happily while I glumly pushed my potatoes around my plate with my fork, my appetite long-lost.

On the other side of the Hall, I fleetingly saw Victoire's bright red hair among the many heads moving over to the Hufflepuff table. I saw her sit down next to a fifth year boy, and all I could see him was a bit of his heart-shaped face and his bright turquoise hair. _That must be Teddy Lupin… Maybe I should go over there and say hello._

Most of my instincts were screaming, _Oh, hell no! _I decided to ignore my seemingly more rational mind and muster up the courage to go over there and introduce myself.

Getting up before I could tell myself not to, I marched over to the Hufflepuff table with determination. I found Victoire and stood there awkwardly until she noticed me.

"Nova!" she called, obviously surprised that I had come over. "Well, don't just stand there. Come here and I'll introduce you to Teddy."

I came over and sat down next to her. Teddy leaned around Victoire and studied me… was it fear that I was seeing in those brown eyes?

"Teddy Lupin," he said warily. "You're Nova Lestrange," he said matter-of-factly.

"Right," I muttered. _And not proud of it. _I held out a hand to shake.

He took it, somewhat reluctantly, or maybe that was my imagination running wild. "How do you know Victoire?" he more or less demanded, placing a protective arm around her shoulders. I thought I saw her roll her eyes in an _Oh, please_ kind of way.

"I met her on the train. She wanted to get away from her cousins and my compartment was the only one that wasn't full, so she asked if she could come in and I said yes," I explained.

"What do you want from us?" Yep, definitely fear I saw in his eyes.

I looked down at the oak table so he couldn't see me glaring. "Nothing," I said as firmly as I could.

"You have to want _something_, I mean, why else would you be sitting at the _Hufflepuff _table with a _Weasley _if you're an arrogant, pure-blood bitch?" he said scathingly.

"Theodore Remus!" Victoire exclaimed, shocked.

I, on the other hand, was trying to control the urge to punch his lights out. Instead, I just turned my head and concentrated on taking deep breaths to avoid hitting something… or someone.

_Just relax. It's not like you weren't expecting something like this. _

I looked up from the table, not bothering to hide the anger and pain that I was feeling. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm _not _my mother!" And with that, I stormed out of the Great Hall, not caring how many eyes were burning holes in my back.

I half-ran to the entrance hall without actually realizing where I was going. Once I got there, I leaned against the wall. Eventually, I was sitting down on the floor with my head on my knees.

I didn't even bother to stop it.

I cried. I cried more than I ever had before.

Why did my mother have to be an evil bitch?

Why did my relatives have to be so stuck-up and arrogant?

Why? Just… why?

I stayed there until I heard the thundering of footsteps, the telltale sign that the feast was over and the Houses would be going back to their respective common rooms right about now. I wiped my eyes on my sleeve and stood up to go catch up with the Slytherins.

"Nova? Are you alright?"

It was Victoire. I turned to face her. Teddy was with her.

I promptly started to hurry off to the dungeons, but Victoire caught up with me and grabbed my sleeve, preventing me from escaping. "Teddy wants to apologize."

I snorted disbelievingly. "Yeah. Sure."

"Really, he does!"

"I do, Nova. Honestly."

I sighed. "Okay, fine. Let's hear it."

"I am so sorry. I overreacted and assumed something that wasn't true and I shouldn't have. My grandmother taught me better than that…"

Momentarily forgetting my irritation, I asked, "Your grandmother? I thought you were raised by Victoire's uncle? He is your godfather after all…"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah. But Harry was only seventeen when my parents died. He couldn't have taken care of me. So he contacted my grandmother."

"Who is your grandmother, anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

Teddy laughed. "You're awful curious, aren't you?" He smiled. "That's alright, but I'll tell you tomorrow. We have to get to our common rooms."

I looked around and noticed the Slytherins rounding the corner to the dungeons. "Damn, you're right. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, guys." I ran off to catch up with my fellow classmates.

That night in my bed, I thought about how I actually had friends.

_Friends. Wow._


	3. Chapter 3

**Enjoy, and review :)**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Herbology was, as usual, a disaster.

I always did terrible in that class because of the stress of having Professor Longbottom, who is usually nice to everyone else, glare at me. I worked up the courage to ask him after class what he had against me. He simply said, "Your mother and father tortured my parents into insanity. Are you proud of them _now_?" I was too shocked to tell him that I hated my parents with every fiber of my being, so I just walked away.

At lunch, I decided to ditch the Slytherins for a little while and sit with Victoire and Teddy at the Ravenclaw table.

"I see you've ditched the serpents," Teddy said with a smirk.

I laughed. "Yeah. I'll eat with people who actually acknowledge my existence."

Victoire smiled. "That's good. I wonder if you could ask the Headmistress to transfer to Ravenclaw…"

"Good luck with that," Teddy said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. She smacked his arm playfully.

I laughed at their antics and took another bite of my lunch. I remembered that I had wanted to ask Teddy about his grandmother. "Hey, Teddy?"

He looked up. "Yeah?"

"You were going to tell me about your grandmother last night, but you didn't get the chance. Want to tell me now?"

He smiled and nodded. "Sure. Well, her name is Andromeda Tonks. My grandfather died before I was born, and Grandma has never been the same since. She's getting on in age, and according to Harry, she doesn't have the energy she used to, but she's still the best grandmother anyone could have." His expression was fond; he sighed. "She was disowned by her family as a young woman."

"What for? And _why _would anyone do that?"

Victoire looked sullen, as if she had heard this story before and that it was a particularly depressing one.

Teddy shook his head. "I don't know, Nova. I really don't know. I know why she was disowned, but it just doesn't make sense…" He sighed again and continued. "She was disowned for marrying a Muggle-born, my grandfather. Once the news of her engagement reached her family, she was burned off the tapestry."

That rung a dim bell. _Tapestry? He couldn't be talking about the Black family tapestry… could he?_

"The Black tapestry?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah. You'd know about that." He paused and then asked, "Have you seen it before?"

I shook my head. "No, and I don't want to. I'm ashamed to be related to them. I don't even know if I'm on it." _Maybe nobody had time to go over there and add me to it... or nobody cared enough._

He let out a humorless laugh.

My eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"You don't realize it, do you?"

"Take your cryptic shit elsewhere. What don't I realize?"

"My grandmother is your aunt."

"_What_?"

Teddy nodded slowly. "She's your mother's sister. The one nobody talks about. She isn't considered family anymore."

"That's dumb," I said angrily.

"It is," Victoire chimed in. Suddenly, her face lit up. "Hey, Nova, you said you hated your aunt and uncle, right?"

"Yes," I said slowly, not sure where she was going with this.

"Maybe you could stay with Andromeda instead! It makes sense, right, Teddy?" She turned to him.

Teddy considered it, then turned to me and asked, "Do you want to?"

Did I? I didn't know. Andromeda didn't sound anything like Aunt Narcissa or my mother – she married a Muggle-born, after all. _I could go for Christmas and get to know her._

"I guess it wouldn't be so bad. But I probably won't stay there permanently," I added. "I might see her for Christmas. I'll just tell the jackasses that are my aunt and uncle that I'm staying here at Hogwarts for the holidays."

"Atta girl." Victoire smirked.

Teddy laughed. "Hey, maybe one of these days if Grandma doesn't mind, you can move in."

"Yeah, maybe. I want to finish my O.W.L.s before I go, though," I said firmly.

"That's understandable… but you should really think about it," Victoire told me.

"I will, I promise." I smiled.

"Great!" Teddy exclaimed suddenly. His hair turned bright yellow. _All by itself._

"What the hell?" I shouted. Victoire snickered and Teddy touched his head and laughed with her.

"Anybody care to fill me in?" I scowled.

"I'm a metamorphmagus," Teddy finally spluttered through his laughter.

That just confused me more. "English, please?"

Victoire finally stopped giggling. "It means he can change his appearance at will."

"I've never heard of such a thing before." I stared at Teddy's hair – which was now its usual turquoise color – with fascination and wonder. "How do you do it?"

"It takes a lot of concentration. I couldn't control it when I was younger, but now I can to an extent. My hair tends to change colors with my mood," he explained.

"Wow… Can anybody be like you?" I asked, wondering if I could do it. _That would be so convenient…_

Teddy shook his head. "No, it's not like becoming an Animagus. Metamorphmagi are born, not made. I got it from my mother."

"That's actually really awesome, Teddy," I said earnestly.

"Thanks, Nova." The lunch bell tolled.

I sighed and reluctantly gathered up my book bag.

_I actually have non-judgmental family. Who would have guessed it?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Ah, awesome things happen here :) It's shorter than usual, sorry.**

**Thank you to my two reviewers, DistractedButSerious and violetcara. **

**Please enjoy and review if you wish!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Potions was as bad as it always was, with the bad-tempered Professor Flint making snide comments about my parents. If it wasn't for the fact that I would get detention or worse for punching a teacher, I gritted my teeth and tried my hardest to ignore it.

That night after dinner, I sat in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room that was slightly dimmed by the greenish glow coming from the lake, thinking about how different life might be if I was to live with my other aunt, the one I didn't even know I had until that afternoon. I figured I had better ask Teddy where she lived so I could go and visit if I wanted to.

I snapped out of my reverie when a frightened second year tapped my arm.

"M-miss Lestrange?" she squeaked.

I turned in my seat and smiled as warmly as I could manage. "Yes?"

The girl held out a scroll of parchment. "Here, I was just up to see my o-owl and I found this letter and it was addressed to y-you."

I took it from her. "Thank you."

She nodded and ran toward the stairs that led to the girls' dormitory. I untied the red ribbon, unrolled it and began to read.

_Nova,_

_You've never met me, but I have heard some interesting things about you from my dear grandson. He told me that you would like to spend your Christmas holidays with me this year. I would be absolutely delighted to have you. I want you to know that you are welcome here anytime. I do not hate you as you may assume, and I do not hate your mother – on the contrary, I love and pity her as I always have. Do send me a letter back confirming this._

_Love,_

_Andromeda_

_P.S.: Do __not__ tell anyone on your mother's side of the family where you are. _

So Teddy told his grandmother about me. I was pleased by this, and I actually felt loved and cared for, truly, for the first time in my life. Smiling to myself, I found a new piece of parchment and wrote a letter back to the aunt I never met but already loved dearly.

_Andromeda,_

_Thank you for allowing me to stay with you for Christmas. I don't think I could stand another holiday with Uncle Lucius, Aunt Narcissa, or Draco and his family. _

_Looking forward to seeing you,_

_Nova_

Just as I set my quill down, a fellow fourth year bounded toward the portrait hole, but I stopped him.

"Hey, do you have an owl I can use? The last time I checked the school owls were all busy."

"You'll have to wait, freak. I don't serve _scum_," he spat.

I gave him a death glare. I didn't normally try to intimidate people, but this was my last resort.

"Listen, asshole, I've got a really important letter that needs sending. Can't you at least forget for five minutes that my parents are Death Eaters and help me out? I mean, Merlin, I don't even know the incantation for the Killing curse!" Okay, that was a lie, but it was the only thing I could come up with in my defense.

The kid looked downright furious, but all he said was, "I will never understand how Weasley and Lupin can trust you."

"Oh, you can kiss my ass," I snarled.

We walked to the owlery in silence, each of us glaring at the floor. I gave the letter to the boy's barn owl and it flew off into the night, its white feathers standing out against the black sky.

---

The Muggle bombs - so helpfully planted by Lucius's Imperiused cronies - went off near the cells that held Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, along with Amycus and Alecto Carrow's, startling the confused barn owl. It slammed into the rubble, inadvertently dropping the letter at Bellatrix's feet. Curious, she unrolled it and read it. Grinning triumphantly, she yelled, "Finally! My daughter shall be a servant to the Dark Lord at last… ah, poor Andromeda… the filthy blood traitor loses another family member to the cause…" She gave a demented laugh.

The woman refused to believe her master and sick obsession had died.


	5. Chapter 5

**Review, pretty please!!! :)**

** Sorry if you're an anonymous reader and wish to review, but I have disabled anonymous for a particularly nasty review on my other story that was anonymous.**

**So yeah. I may be changing the title of this story, so if it comes up under a different title, don't say I didn't warn you.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

A few days later, the worst thing that could happen to me happened.

It was at breakfast, and I was sitting at the Slytherin table eating my fried eggs in peace, just hoping to successfully make the Babbling Brew that Professor Flint told us we would have to make that day (_And it should be better than last time – that was an absolute disaster!_), when Victoire ran up to me and slapped that day's copy of the _Daily Prophet_ down on the table.

"Look at the front page," she ordered, but her voice shook.

I did I was told, and I almost spit out of my pumpkin juice. There, in large, bold lettering, were the words **BELLATRIX LESTRANGE ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN FOR THE SECOND TIME**. The moving picture of my psycho mother sneered up at me, her once-beautiful face gaunt and skull-like. The slick black hair that I inherited from her was matted and dirty. _Obviously, they don't let you bathe too much in Azkaban… _Along with her mugshot, there were three others, one who I immediately recognized as my father, Rodolphus, and the Carrow twins, Amycus and Alecto.

"Well, isn't that just peachy?" I muttered.

"It's certainly not that good. What if she's coming to look for you?" Victoire asked worriedly.

I shook my head. "I seriously doubt it, Vic. If she gave a damn about me, she wouldn't be the way she is."

"Well, that's true," she mumbled.

"And you know what? If she comes for me and somehow manages to find me, I won't care. She's one person I'd love to beat some sense into…"

"_I'd_ love to see you get close enough. Your mother is very accomplished in the Dark Arts, you know."

"No, really? I had no idea," I replied sarcastically.

Teddy had arrived. My fellow Slytherins were shuffling away from him and Victoire, and I thought I heard him mutter something like, "Get over yourselves." He stared down at the picture of his great-aunt with a mixture of disgust and pity. "She looks horrible."

I sighed and rolled up the paper. "Yeah. But seriously, Victoire, I doubt she's coming for me. I mean, come on – I'm just an inexperienced fourth year. What benefit would I be to her?"

"Maybe you should start learning some defensive spells, just in case," she suggested. "I could teach you the Shield Charm."

"Thanks, but–"

"You need to know how to protect yourself, Nova! Yeah, a Shield Charm isn't going to help you against one of the Unforgivable Curses, but there are some pretty lethal hexes _and _curses out there that could do you in! And who really knows why your mother broke out of Azkaban? I'd hazard a guess that she wants _you. _Not to kill you, but to have you join her in some crazy mission that could somehow raise Voldemort from the dead or something."

"And guess what? I'm not going to help her. Period. If she wants help, she'll have to ask somebody else. And I don't care whether she considers me a blood traitor or whatever insult she decides to throw at me."

"We know you don't care, Nova," Teddy said, "but you need to consider the possibility of a one-on-one duel with her. Listen." He lowered his voice. "She lacks anything resembling a conscience. She can and _will _kill you, whether you're her daughter or not. If Vicky's right and she comes for you and decides to kill you, there isn't much that can stand in her way except you. _You _can eliminate her from the picture all together, if you learn. She"–he nodded to Victoire–"could help you loads. She spends a lot of time with her aunt, Hermione, and she's learned a lot from her."

"Are you suggesting that, should _mother dearest_ come around, I have to kill her?" Not that I cared whether she lived or died, but… killing my own mother… I didn't know why, but that shook me to the core.

"Well, not if you don't want to." Teddy looked confused. "I thought you hated her."

"I do. But just the thought of killing my mother…" I shuddered. "Don't ask me why, but that… scares me." My voice was barely above a whisper.

Teddy and Victoire exchanged a look and the latter of the two said, "Well, whenever you're ready. _If _you're ready, that is."

I nodded. "'Kay."

They went off to their respective tables and I was left to my own thoughts.

Why would my mother escape from prison just for me? And who the hell helped her get out? The dementors would have gone crazy if anyone unfamiliar came into the prison and I knew for a fact that anyone who came to visit – even if that's just what they _said _they were doing – they had their wands confiscated, just in case anybody decided to get cocky and help somebody out of their cells. So how did she…? Then it hit me. _Uncle Lucius! He or Draco… doesn't really matter who helped or how she got out, the problem is why she got out now of all times…_

Another realization hit me: Andromeda hadn't written back yet. Teddy had said that her letter should have come by now. I put it down to the fact that the owl got confused or something (_That kid is going to _kill _me_, I had thought) at the time, but now I had my suspicions… nothing fit, though.

Sighing, I gathered up my books and headed off to the first class of the day, my mind spinning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Heh, strong language in this one. xD**

**Hope you enjoy! and please review! :D  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

The next few months passed, and my mother hadn't been seen or heard from at all.

You would think she would be out walking and talking and killing, but she wasn't, strangely. It was like she was biding her time, which was scaring me just as much as the thought of killing her.

The Christmas holidays came quicker than I would have thought possible, and Andromeda still hadn't responded to my letter. I was getting really worried, so I sent her another one asking her why she hadn't written back yet. She told me that she never received my first letter, which puzzled me. _Why the hell did she not get that letter? I sent it, I know I did… maybe the owl got confused… or – _

That thought was interrupted by another revelation – maybe the owl was intercepted. _Intercepted… possible, and very scary… _Who was out to get me? Over the course of the months that passed, I had accepted Victoire's idea, that my mother could possibly want me – dead or alive, I wasn't sure.

One thing _did _happen. Just as I finished packing for Andromeda's and was hauling my belongings down the stairs going up to the girl's dormitory, a sharp, insistent knock on the wall that was the entrance to our common room sounded. Figuring it was Victoire or Teddy, who frequently came to call, I walked over to the entrance and told the visitor that the password was "_serpens____."_

When the person spoke the password to the wall, I recognized the voice immediately by the cold, arrogant drawl. _Uncle Lucius? I thought I told him and Aunt Narcissa that I was staying here at Hogwarts for the holidays! Even though that really isn't what I'm doing... but they don't need to know that…_

When the wall slid back, I got an eerie sense of letting the enemy into my stronghold. My uncle strode in, looking as if he owned the place, a scowl on his face, like the common room didn't meet his expectations, thought it was probably me that wasn't meeting them... My aunt was wearing her typical expression – the one that made her look like she smelled something nasty. They glanced around briefly; I waited, tapping my foot impatiently. Then, with ferocity that shocked me, they both glared at me. If I said it didn't freak me out a little, I'd be lying. My mind was plaguing me with terrible ideas as to why they were angry with me, the worst of it being that they had found out that I was going to Andromeda's for Christmas. _But… no, they couldn't have…_

Suddenly, Lucius exploded, "I can't _believe _you!" His gray eyes were narrowed to slits.

"What?" I decided to play dumb. "What's this about? What have I done?"

"Oh, don't be dense," Narcissa snapped. "You know damn well why we're here."

I knew I was in the hole by the fact that she was actually _swearing_. That was extremely rare for my prim-and-proper aunt; she only swore when she was particularly incensed.

"Actually, I don't."

"We here, from a very reliable source, that you are spending the holidays–" she began.

"–here at Hogwarts," I finished. "And your 'reliable source' was me." I decided to play "defiant child" even though I knew what was coming next…

"You're nothing but a filthy little liar," she snarled. "Staying with my blood traitor sister! Oh, if only your mother were here… you would learn!"

"If mymother were here, I'd punch her right in her fucking mouth!" It came out before I could stop it. "If she gave two shits about me, she wouldn't be who she is! She wouldn't be a Death Eater! In case you haven't noticed, I _hate_ her!" I let the fourteen years of anger and loathing come out in those three words.

That deflated both of them.

"And if I want to go to my aunt's for Christmas, damn it, I will!"

I heard footsteps coming down the hall and looked to see who it was. It was Teddy and his godfather, Harry Potter.

"Nova, what–?" He stopped at the sight of my furious aunt and uncle. "Oh." It was a knowing, albeit short, response. He glanced at me and mouthed, "Do they know?" I nodded shortly. I saw him more than heard him swear under his breath.

Harry walked into the common room and said calmly, "Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, I'm glad you're still in good health."

They simply ignored him. Teddy walked over to me and grabbed my arm; I was shaking with anger. "I'd go up to the dorm with you, but boys aren't allowed up there. Should I go get Victoire?" he murmured.

I shook my head. "No, I need to be alone. I feel like I'm about to hit the next thing that moves."

He nodded and moved away from me. "I didn't mean that, you know," I added, feeling a little ashamed of myself.

"No, I get it. I would feel the same way." He turned to my "family." "You _disgust_ me," he spat. With that he stormed out, pausing on the way to say something to Harry, who nodded. He walked over to me and patted me on the shoulder, turning to the slightly deflated couple standing in front of us.

"If you – no, I was about to say 'if you don't mind,' but with recent events that would be a rather stupid thing to say. What is better to say is, I'm taking your niece to Andromeda's, whether you like it or not. It is improper to keep a child away from their family, whether you have disowned the person or not."

"Well, don't expect us to take her back," Narcissa said bitterly.

"She is your niece, and you are her legal guardians – you have to take her," Harry insisted.

"No, Mr. Potter, don't. They're not worth it. I was planning on living with Andromeda once I took my O.W.L.s, anyway," I admitted.

He nodded and said, "Alright then. And you can call me Harry." He smiled kindly and turned back to the Malfoys. "Well, it's settled then. Is there anything you'd like to say to her?"

"Oh, there's plenty I'd like to say," Lucius said. "But I'm sure she already knows."

"Oh, I do. You think I'm just a filthy little blood traitor and that I'll be burned off the Black tapestry – that is, if anybody cared enough to put me there in the first place," I muttered. "You hate me. I get it. And you know what? The feeling's mutual. I _really_ hope that makes you feel better," I said sarcastically.

I gathered up my bags and walked out of my old life and into my new one.


	7. Chapter 7

**You know the drill, R&R&R - read, review, recommend :D**

**But you don't have to, you know. Enjoy :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Leaving Hogwarts for the holidays and knowing I wouldn't be spending it with Uncle Lucius, Aunt Narcissa, Draco and his family felt both good and a little strange, like I was breaking a tradition.

_Tradition or otherwise, I'm so freakin' glad I don't have to spend another Christmas with those people._

Harry took me and Teddy off Hogwarts grounds and I experienced side-along Apparition for the first time. It wasn't a pleasant sensation – it felt my body parts were leaving Hogwarts rather reluctantly.

We arrived with a _pop_ at Andromeda's place. It wasn't a big house, even though she had quite a bit of money from her family. _Before she was disowned for going against the grain,_ I thought bitterly. _Stupid people…_

Andromeda rushed out to meet us, her long, graying dark brown hair flying behind her. She looked a lot like my mother, except for the fact that her hair was lighter and her eyes were wider. "Harry!" she exclaimed, smiling broadly. "It's been so long… Teddy, you should get inside and unpack… And I know who this is." Her gaze finally found me. I smiled at her, and hers widened considerably. She sighed. "You look just like Bella–" Teddy muttered, "Spitting image, more like," as he walked away "–it's such a pity she turned out the way she did… Well, come in, darling." She led us inside.

Suddenly, a little girl – maybe eight years of age – with curly red hair and bright blue eyes flew down the stairs and threw herself into Harry's arms. "Uncle Harry!"

Harry chuckled. "Hey, Rose. Where are your parents?"

"Right here."

We turned, and my eyes landed on a tall red-haired man and a slightly shorter woman with bushy brown hair, one hand holding her husband's and the other holding her son's.

Their smiles faded when they seen me. The man moved in front of his family in a defensive sort of manner.

"Ron, don't get your knickers in a twist," Andromeda said, scowling at him. "Nova is not–"

"Oh, it has a name, does it?" Ron interrupted, glaring at me. His wife was giving him a disapproving look.

I glared right back. "Yes, I do, just like every other human being."

Andromeda placed a slightly restraining hand on my shoulder. "Don't." Bending down to whisper in my ear, she added, "I can tell you have you mother's temper." Straightening up, she said, "Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, Nova is not like her mother. Actually, she couldn't be any less like Bella."

"In fact, I hate my mother. She's a worthless excuse for a human being," I said scathingly.

"She is," Ron muttered, while Andromeda said, "That's a horrible thing to say. Well, my point is that there is no comparison between the two," she added with a sense of finality.

The woman spoke up for the first time, holding out a hand. "My name is Hermione Weasley. It's really an interesting experience to meet you." We shook hands. "This is Ron, as you've already figured out, and this is Hugo, my son." She smiled down at the little boy, who smiled right back just as radiantly.

I nodded at Ron, who waved back halfheartedly.

Andromeda turned back to me. "Now, let's go upstairs and I'll show you your room."

We went up the stairs together, turned a corner, and she opened a door next to family portrait. I stopped to look at it, curious. I could tell which one was Andromeda immediately by the classic good looks of the Black family she was, unfortunately, a part of. The man sitting next to her had to have been her husband and Teddy's grandfather, the one he was named after. And the girl standing behind them was obviously Teddy's deceased mother. Her hair was a bright shade of bubblegum pink, her eyes a gorgeous deep blue, though I was sure that wasn't her natural color.

Andromeda must have realized why I wasn't in the room with her; she was standing next to me, and I jumped when she spoke – I had been so wrapped up in that picture I didn't hear her coming to stand beside me. Unlike most of the other photos in this house, this one wasn't moving.

"Ah, those were happier days," she sighed. "How I wish they had stayed that way."

"What happened?"

"Well… after Ted was killed by the Snatchers in the second war, I was really alone. The only good thing that really happened to me during that time was Nymphadora's marriage and Teddy's birth. Then she and her husband Remus died and I felt grief I hope you never have to experience."

"Nymphadora?" _What a name…_

"Yes, my daughter." She laid a finger on the still canvas over Teddy's mother's smiling face. I saw tears welling up in her eyes; she realized I noticed and choked them back.

I laid a hand on her shoulder. "You can cry. I've done plenty of that over the past few months."

"What do you have to be upset about?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question? My mother is possibly out to get me – Victoire thinks that why she escaped from prison – my classmates are scared of me; my aunt and uncle hate me, though that doesn't bother me too much. I just wish I had a normal life. I wish my parents weren't the people they were. Sometimes I wish magic didn't exist. If it didn't, my life would be in the right order. I'd have parents that cared, people who loved me for _me_, not for my blood status." I felt like I was being childish, complaining about how unfair my life was when Andromeda had actually lost her husband and daughter. "You know, I should just shut up and suck it up… You have bigger problems…" I turned to go to my room, but she stopped me.

"You can talk, Nova. I felt the same way about my parents."

"Really?" I didn't think it was possible.

She nodded. "Yes. Cygnus and Druella Black weren't exactly the best people in the world." She glanced at the clock on the wall and said "Better get started on dinner. And you had better get unpacked." She hugged me and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "Remember this: I'll be there for you, no matter what happens. Even if your mother comes for you. I'll stand by you until the end."

"Thanks for being the mother I never had." I smiled.

She smiled back, looking like she was about to burst into happy tears.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Those two weeks at Andromeda's were the best of my life.

I got more than I ever expected or asked for; I was treated even better than I was at "home" (I tended to state that sarcastically). She was so kind to me, like the mother I never had. If my mother hadn't insisted that I go to her youngest sister Narcissa instead of the disowned and shunned Andromeda when I was born, I would've had a hell of a better life.

On another note, I got along fairly well with Harry Potter, a person I never, even in my wildest dreams, thought I'd meet. He was actually a really nice guy; he didn't let the stares he was given whenever he was in public (in the wizarding world, at the least; Muggles didn't know he saved their lives be defeating Lord Voldemort, but I'll bet Harry would've gone insane from the stares they would've given him if they knew). Hermione took to me immediately, and she reassured me that no matter what my mother had done in the past, she wouldn't judge me for her mistakes. I asked her out of morbid curiosity what those mistakes were, and she explained that my mother tortured her with the Cruciatus Curse at the age of seventeen. _And here I thought she couldn't possibly get any worse_, I thought sarcastically.

I even started getting along with Ron. I was willing to be friendly to him, and at first I didn't realize why he was so against me when he could see that I was nothing like my mother. He pulled me aside one day and explained that the reason why he resented me at first was because he never – and will never – forgive my mother for what she did to Hermione. He said that was the day he realized exactly how much he loved her by the pain it caused him to see her tortured. From then on, we got along fine – we understood each other better.

I also met Harry's wife, Ginny (who was actually Ron's younger sister). She brought her and Harry's kids over a few days before Christmas. James was pretty much the most energetic child known to man, much to the annoyance of not only his parents, but his younger brother Albus (or, as he insisted to be called most of the time, Al) and his cousin Rose. It greatly amused his sister, Lily, however. I smiled to myself as I watched them interacting with one another, thinking about how much better of a life they would have than I had ended up with.

Christmas Eve came and went quickly. The Weasley clan (yes… I'm saying clan) came around, and dinner was a very loud, social event, and I actually enjoyed myself instead of feeling awkward as I had expected to feel. There was even some exchanging of gifts, and I was surprised to have people handing me magically gift-wrapped boxes that I was told couldn't be opened until the next morning. "Hey, I know how Christmas works," I said jokingly, at which everyone laughed.

After everyone had gone (including Victoire, who said she'd see me at school after we had embraced), I went straight to my room, exhausted. I fell asleep almost immediately after my head hit the pillow.

***

Around two in the morning, I was woken up by a sharp _pop_ that sliced through the night like a knife through butter. The sound floated in through the open window I had forgotten to close when I went to sleep, and I almost jumped a foot off the bed.

"What the hell?" I mumbled sleepily.

Pushing the sheets off, I sat up in bed, trying to get my bearings together. I had gone to bed without getting into my nightclothes, so I was still in the black skirt and tights I had worn the day before. Slipping my shoes on, I got out of bed and looked out the window.

Another _pop _sounded and I only caught a glimpse of grisly brown hair and black robes before the figure disappeared from view.

_Who in Merlin's name would be Apparating to the house at this hour?_

I heard a knock at my door, and, startled, I reached for my wand.

"It's okay, Nova, it's just me," came Andromeda's voice; it was so quiet it barely carried.

I strode across the room and opened the door slowly. She came in quickly and practically slammed the door behind her.

"What's–?"

She pressed a finger against my lips. "It turns out that Victoire was right." She removed her finger.

My mouth dropped open. _My mother… here? No. No, this isn't happening to me…_

"What?"

She nodded solemnly. We both jumped when a bang sounded out, and Andromeda grabbed my shoulders. "Listen to me, and listen carefully. If she's here for you, which she probably is, she won't care about me. She won't hesitate to kill me if I get in the way – which I will, believe me," she said fiercely. "If she finds you, do what she says, anything she says."

"But–"

"Do I have your word, Nova?"

I nodded reluctantly. "Yes," I choked out.

"Good," she breathed. "I sent Teddy to the cellar, and I'd feel better if you were down there, too."

"Alright, I'll go." I turned to go, but she grabbed my sleeve and stopped me.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too."

I opened the door and slowly tiptoed down the stairs. I heard footsteps, and I pressed myself against the wall, hardly daring to breathe.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" came what could be none other than my mother's voice. "I know you're here."

The footsteps were getting louder. I couldn't believe I admitted it to myself, but I was terrified. I figured she wouldn't kill me, but the mere idea of even being near her… I shivered.

"Maybe she isn't here, Bellatrix." This time it was a rougher, male voice.

"Don't be ridiculous, Rodolphus," she snapped. _So he's here to… splendid._ "Of course she's here. That's where she said she would be, correct?"

"She could have been lying."

She scoffed. "I'll prove to you that she's here. _Homenum Revelio__._"

_Shit! _The charm did its job, that's for sure; I felt the telltale signs of that particular charm by the feeling of something swooping low over me, even though nothing was actually there.

"Yes, there's someone here… close by as well."

I moved away from the wall and ran down the hall at a dead sprint, hoping to get to the cellar before they caught up with me. "I hear her!" called another voice I didn't recognize. I soon heard the unmistakable sounds of pursuit. I dodged a few stunning spells and impediment jinxes, still running at top speed, even though the stitch in my side was killing me.

I couldn't avoid it for long, though. One of the three eventually hit me with an impediment jinx to the back. It had the force of a steam engine. I stumbled and literally felt flat on my face. Once I was able to move again, I scrambled to my feet, only to be kicked back down again. Looking up and putting on my best glare, I met the merciless, smiling face of Bellatrix Lestrange.

* * *

**WOO! I've been waiting to write this part :)**

**Just had to work up properly to this point! Hope you enjoy!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Review!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"Long time, no see," she murmured, bending down to my level.

"Not long enough," I snarled.

She _tsk_ed. "Not very friendly, are we? Well, we'll have to fix that, won't we?" Raising her wand, she opened her mouth to speak when a menacing, dangerously low voice came from the other end of the hallway.

"Don't you _dare_, Bellatrix."

I looked over my mother's shoulder and saw Andromeda, her wand pointed threateningly at her sister.

She just laughed. "Oh, Andy… I've missed you and your feisty attitude."

Andromeda scowled. "Sure you have. Now get away from my niece." She raised her wand a little higher, and my mother very obviously ignored the hint.

"Oh, Bellatrix, just get it over with!" yelled the man standing next to my father, whom I didn't recognize.

"Quiet, Rabastan," she ordered.

Andromeda had a chance, and she took it. "_Expelliarmus_!"

"_Avada Kedavra_!" she cried.

"_PROTEGO_!" I roared, pointing my wand between them. I knew it was a useless attempt – Shield charms can't stop an Unforgivable Curse – but I just couldn't lose her…

My Shield charm collided with the other two, and a small explosion was created. Teddy came crawling out of the cellar with a murderous expression, but I could see the fear in his eyes, and his now white hair reflected it.

"Stun Bellatrix," I mouthed. My mother hadn't noticed that we had been joined by another – she was too busy trying to kill her sister while my father and Rabastan were helping her. I had to say, Andromeda was putting up quite a fight with three-on-one.

"_Stupefy_!" Teddy whispered fiercely.

Bellatrix blocked it nonverbally over her shoulder.

"Damn, does she have eyes in the back of her head?" Teddy muttered. He came closer to me and whispered, "We have to get them out of here. Now is your chance!"

"My chance to what? Kill her?" My voice was barely audible.

"If you have to." Teddy shook his head. "I don't want it to come to that either, Nova. But _she _especially has got to go. _Now_."

I took a deep breath. "I'll only kill her in self-defense."

"Fine, whatever floats your boat. I'd prefer it that way, anyhow."

We both tiptoed closer to the cellar. Andromeda briefly caught my eye and nodded, the movement barely there, but I took it to mean that she agreed with what Teddy and I were doing.

Suddenly, the wand-fire stopped, and the three former Death Eaters turned around. "_Crucio_!" one of them cried, faster than Andromeda could stop it. I faintly heard "_Stupefy_" and a dull thud that meant either Andromeda or Teddy had been stunned.

The pain was terrible. It felt like I was being punctured repeatedly by hot knives on every crucial nerve point in my body. I screamed, and it was long and drawn-out, not all that natural. My vision took on a blurry tint, and through it I saw my mother twist her hand slightly, increasing the pain. I screamed once more, and then the pain stopped as quickly as it came.

Bending down and laying a hand on my arm, she murmured, "I didn't want to do that, Nova."

I yanked my arm out of her grip. "Get the hell off me," I snapped.

Before I could dodge it, she slapped me across the face. I shoved her away from me, and I was pleased to see her stagger before regaining her footing. Getting up and brushing myself off, I glared. "What do you want from me? You haven't cared about my existence for fourteen years – why now?"

"Oh, I have cared. The Dark Lord will–"

"Yeah, about that… In case you haven't noticed, the psycho you're so obsessed with is _dead_, and he isn't coming back."

"HE ISN'T DEAD, YOU STUPID GIRL!" she shrieked defiantly.

Rodolphus laid a hand on her shoulder and murmured something I couldn't hear. She shrugged his hand off, her eyes blazing with fury.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Teddy stirring – I didn't even know he was the one that was stunned. I looked over my mother's shoulder to see Andromeda clutching her elbow. She mouthed, "Sprained."

I nodded and turned back to my horridly deranged mother, who looked like she was going to kill me for disrespecting her sick obsession. Teddy raised his wand arm weakly and pointed it at them. "If you want Nova for the Death Eaters, you may as well turn around and walk away now. That organization is a lost cause – I think your sister"–he nodded to Bellatrix–"even said as much."

"Narcissa is mistaken," she hissed, barely keeping her voice under control.

"No, Bella." Andromeda spoke this time; Bellatrix reeled from her sister's use of the nickname that had been given to her as a child. "_You _are mistaken. You've never taken that well, have you?"

In a fit of rage, Bellatrix whirled around and shouted, "_Avada Kedavra_!" pointing her wand at her sister.

A split second passed, and neither I nor Teddy could move or react in anyway; the shock was that strong.

The jet of green light hit Andromeda in the chest, and she slumped from her slight sitting position on the floor. Her once bright brown eyes were dull and unseeing.

Her grandson let out a scream of denial, and I fell to my knees.

* * *

**:'(**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here ya go :)**

**Thanks for the reviews, and to Spiderbot1994 for making me think about this story and thus getting inspiration for the next chapter! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

At first, all I felt was anguish and grief, a terrible sadness I thought would never end. My gaze found Teddy, kneeling beside his grandmother's body, sobbing softly. I wanted to comfort him, and I moved to do so, but then I realized my mother was standing right next to me. I stood up shakily and grasped my wand, looking at her expressionlessly. A slow smile crept over her face, and she looked truly evil.

That smug little smile did it.

The sadness ebbed away as fast as the shock of Andromeda's death, and it was replaced by an anger I'd never known. I was blinded by the rage; my vision was tinted red. I raised my wand and the incantation came out of my mouth before I could realize what I was doing, and that I still had the trace on me. At that moment, I wanted to cause her – the woman who ruined my life – as much pain as I could possibly inflict.

"_Crucio_!"

My father and Rabastan looked at me in shock, but made no move to stop me, stunned.

Bellatrix flew backward and hit the wall with a shriek, but the curse didn't have its full affect. I knew she should have been writhing on the ground begging for mercy, and I was so angry I tried to muster up the hatred and the sadistic nature of the Lestrange family to use the Cruciatus Curse properly, but nothing came up.

Deep down inside, I knew what I was doing was wrong. I had been so murderously enraged that for a fleeting second I actually considered killing her, but figured that if I didn't have the willpower to cast a successful Cruciatus Curse that I would never be able to cast _Avada Kedavra_. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever truly wanted to kill her. If I had, she would have been dead.

I exchanged a brief look with Teddy, whose face was lined with tear tracks. He looked up to me and nodded, and I took that to mean that we should keep them hostage.

Not that they would let us or anything.

The three Death Eaters took off at breakneck speed, taking advantage of my momentary distraction, heading for the back door, my mother in the back of the group.

"You're not getting away this time, bitch!" I screamed, throwing a Stunning Spell in her direction, which was hurriedly blocked. I wasted no time to start chasing her, firing incantation after incantation.

"Wait, Nova! WAIT!" Teddy called, but I was already down the hall and running.

They had a slight head start, so I was afraid I wouldn't catch up to _mother dearest _and kick her ass.

"Nova!" Teddy was still following me.

The Death Eaters reached the backyard and past the Anti-Apparition charms Andromeda had placed around the house. They turned on the spot and disappeared from sight.

"_Damn it_!" I shouted, burying my face in my hands. "NO!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I uncovered my face and turned to find Teddy looking at me sympathetically. "What now?" I asked.

"We should send on owl to Harry so he can tell Ron to tell the Ministry." When I looked at him quizzically, he clarified, "Harry's head of the Auror department."

I nodded and we entered the house, automatically averting our eyes from Andromeda's body. Teddy moved over to the desk and began writing a short, to-the-point note to Harry. He called his horned owl Romulus from his perch, who happily took the piece of parchment from Teddy and flew out the window.

It didn't take long for Harry's letter to return. Romulus came flying back into the room, hooting indignantly as he collided with Andromeda's owl Agatha. The letter dropped at Teddy's feet; he picked it up and unfolded it gently, holding it in front of me so we could both read it.

_Ron and I are on our way, and we're bringing a new Auror along with us, it's someone Nova should know. I'm proud of how you held yourselves up, very admirable. Don't leave the house._

_Harry_

Teddy turned to me and asked, "Who do you know that might be an Auror?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

I shook my head. "I have no idea." I was just as confused as he was. I ran through a list of people I knew in my mind that were old enough to qualify, but nobody likely occurred to me.

A moment later, a _crack _sounded out, announcing Harry, Ron, and the mystery Auror's arrival. Harry entered the house first, looking over the torn wallpaper, the burn marks in the floor, and soon his gaze found Andromeda's body. He looked grim as he turned to Ron. "You know what to do." Ron nodded and I turned my head, not wanting to have to lay my eyes on that terrible scene ever again.

The Auror that Harry brought with him was familiar to me. Very familiar, in fact.

He nodded to me and said, "Nice to see you again, Nova," a little sarcastically.

"Nice to see you, too, _Draco_," I spat. "Why the hell did you become an Auror?"

"I felt the need to redeem myself after what happened in the war, do you mind?" he snapped.

"No, I don't. I can't believe you actually care that Andromeda's dead," I retorted bitingly.

"I don't. Potter asked me to come, and I had nothing any more exciting to do tonight–"

"Already sick of Astoria?" I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"–so I decided to tag along," he finished. "And besides, I was just _dying _to see you," he added sarcastically.

I glared. _And how long do I have to put up with him? _


	11. Chapter 11

**I would've gotten this up last night, but FF had a technical glitch and I couldn't log in. Enjoy & review!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

We just glared at each other until Harry came over and told us that Ron had moved Andromeda's body and that he was just going to ask me and Teddy a few questions.

He didn't get the chance to ask the questions he wanted as a white barn owl came barreling through the open window and dropped a letter at my feet. It had the Ministry of Magic seal on it. _This can't be good. _I picked it up and opened it. It read:

_Dear Miss Lestrange,_

_We have received intelligence that you performed an Unforgivable Curse at thirty-four minutes past two this morning. Due to the extreme severity of this breach, you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Ministry representatives will be calling at your current dwelling place to destroy your wand._

_You will be sentenced on January 2, 2014._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Percy Weasley, Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement_

I was a mixture of shocked and terrified. _I should've expected this._

Pulling out my wand, knowing full well I _really _shouldn't be using magic at this moment, I calmly said, "_Incendio_."

The letter shriveled up into ash as Harry and Draco's gazes fluttered between my solemn face and the burned letter at my feet. Harry spoke first. Clearing his throat, he asked, "What was in that letter that made you burn it?"

I looked up at Harry. "I'm not proud of what I'm about to tell you, Harry, honestly I'm not. I got so angry at _her_ for killing Andromeda, I... I…" It was almost too much to tell him what had happened, the part that Teddy left out of the letter he sent him. I gulped and continued, "I used the Cruciatus Curse against her, but it didn't have any effect. I've been expelled from Hogwarts and I've got to stand trial on the second of January." My voice shook with suppressed tears. I rarely cried, but I think I had a pretty good reason at this moment.

Harry's bright green eyes widened in shock.

Draco's gray ones narrowed. "I didn't think you had the guts to even consider it," he drawled coldly.

"I was angry, and besides, I didn't really want to, it just happened! What would you have done, Draco?" I snapped.

Harry laid a hand on my shoulder, a warning and soothing gesture all in one. "Relax." He turned to Draco and a scowl formed on his face. "You're bang out of order. How do you think she feels? She just lost the only person who ever truly cared about her, met the mother she's hated for years, she's expelled from Hogwarts and now the Ministry is trying to throw her in Azkaban, when they actually can't! You know, I'm the Head of the Department–"

"Do you have to keep bragging about it, Potter?" Draco interrupted angrily.

"–and I could easily demote you, Malfoy," Harry finished, ignoring Draco's rudeness. "Don't push me."

"I thought you hated the Lestranges."

"I don't judge people by their last name."

I was reminded of how Draco always talked trash about the Weasleys, according to him and my aunt and uncle the worst blood traitors of all. Apparently Draco was reminded about it, too, because he shifted his weight from foot to foot in a nervous, convicted way. He did not reply to Harry's statement.

Harry's lips twitched; he was obviously trying to repress a triumphant grin. However, he turned to me and winked. I cracked a small smile. Draco glared at both of us.

"You know what? I'm going. I didn't even want to come on this damn expedition as it was."

"Then why did you come? You could've refused – I wouldn't have bit your head off."

Draco snorted disbelievingly. "Right. Well, I'm out of here. See you around." He waved mockingly and stalked out. I faintly heard the door slam behind him and a subtle _pop_ as he Disapparated.

I sighed and looked down at the pile of ash that used to be the letter from the Ministry, and then at Harry, who was looking worried. Ron was through investigating, as he came back from the hallway and opened his mouth to report to Harry, but stopped at seeing my miserable expression.

"I'm sorry about… Andromeda," he said hesitantly. "It's really horrible she had to die like this."

I just nodded.

Harry turned to his best friend and brother-in-law and said, "She's been expelled from Hogwarts."

"Well, we should have expected that, with all the underage magic she's performed. But she used it in self-defense, so there shouldn't be a trial. Should I Apparate back to the house and ask Hermione, to be sure?" Ron asked.

"Oh, she's got a trial," said Harry grimly. "But it's not for underage magic."

"What for, then?"

"Using an Unforgivable Curse."

Ron gaped for a moment, then his eyes narrowed and he raised his wand. Harry automatically pulled his out. "Ron, don't overreact."

"_Don't overreact_?!" he shrieked. "She's a–"

"–maniac?" I finished. "No, that's more my mother's forte," I said scathingly.

"You used–!"

"The Cruciatus Curse, yes! I was angry, I didn't mean it, I didn't enjoy it, she wasn't hurt! For Merlin's sake, can't people see that?" I yelled, burying my face in my hands. I was so stressed from the accusations, upset about Andromeda, not to mention the whole situation with the Ministry and my expulsion from Hogwarts.

I didn't even try to stop it. I burst into tears.

Teddy, who had been helping Ron with the investigation and answering questions, came to stand next to Ron's shoulder. Seeing my face, he sat next to me and rubbed my shoulder. "Shh, it's okay," he murmured.

I shook my head ever-so-slightly. It wasn't okay. None of this over. It wouldn't be over until she was dead.

I was filled with rage, and my tears were no longer of sadness and stress. They were of anger.


	12. Chapter 12

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

While I was crying into Teddy's shoulder, another owl came through the window and perched on Harry's arm, a letter tied to its leg. He untied it and gave the owl a treat, and it flew out the window and into the darkness. Harry read the letter, and his expression was grim. He sighed and threw the letter down on the coffee table and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

"What now?" Teddy asked. I looked up and rubbed my red and puffy eyes, gazing at Harry inquiringly.

"It's your aunt and uncle," he told me. "They want you to come home. They heard about what happened and they said they'd appreciate it if we"–he gestured to him and Ron–"brought you back to the manor."

"And you know the answer to that, don't you? Hell no." I crossed my arms. Teddy squeezed my shoulder, a silent warning to keep my temper under control.

"Nova, the Ministry officials will be arriving there to confiscate your wand, and you won't be there. It will just make things worse."

"Do you think I'm just going to hand over my wand like a good girl?" I glared at him. "No way. They'll just have to hunt me down. I'm not going to them."

"Nova, you're making things worse for yourself," Ron said impatiently. "If we bring you over there, we'll figure out a way to talk them out of snapping your wand right now. Maybe we can convince them to wait for the Wizengamot to make that kind of decision."

I snorted disbelievingly. "Okay ,sure. Try it, go ahead. I won't stop you."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "You won't?"

"Nope. I just won't go back to the manor."

"They're your family for Merlin's sake! They're probably worried!"

I restrained, with difficulty, a bubble of hysterical laughter. "_Worried_? Are you _serious_? The idea of them being worried is… so bizarre, and so unlikely it's hilarious!"

"Nova," Harry said sternly. "Come on, now. They're your family, no matter what sort of attitude they've got. Of course they're concerned."

I still didn't believe him, but I didn't push the issue. Sighing, I asked, "So do I have to go back to the Malfoys?"

Harry nodded, then shrugged. "Well, it's not mandatory or anything, but it would sure make things a lot easier. I'm not going to take you there against your will."

A thought struck me. "Don't you think that's where my mother Disapparated to? Malfoy Manor?"

Harry's expression was thoughtful. "Possibly. And if that's the case, I'm sure it would give you a sense of satisfaction if you were the one that helped round her up and cart her back to Azkaban," he said. "Where she belongs," he added under his breath.

"Aunt Narcissa will protect her," I said. "That's her sister, you know."

"I know," he said. "But I don't think your aunt wants to go through another trial."

I raised an eyebrow. "_Another_ trial?"

"Before you were born, Narcissa had to go through a series of trials in front of the Wizengamot. Some of them considered her guilty by association, but most thought that wasn't fair to her, so they let her go. Lucius was set free for changing sides at the last minute and the same goes for Draco." He paused for a moment, then added, "I'm surprised she didn't tell you any of this."

"I'm not. We never were that close," I explained. "Only thing she ever told me was to act like a proper lady and behave myself."

Ron cleared his throat. Our heads to turned to him. He tapped the watch on his wrist. "Shouldn't we be going? The Ministry's probably already there, and they'll be flipping out if they are 'cause she's not around. They could be interrogating the Malfoys as we speak. You don't want you aunt and uncle to go to jail, do you?" he asked me.

I sighed. "I suppose not," I muttered, surprised that I was being honest. I actually didn't want them to go to jail. I didn't exactly know why not though… _Maybe it's because you actually care_, a small voice inside me whispered.

Harry clapped his hands together, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Well, we'd better be going then."

"How are we getting there?" Teddy asked. "Brooms?"

Harry smiled. "Nope. Side-Along Apparition."

Teddy's eyes widened as he smiled. "Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't of said it if I wasn't."

"Awesome!" Teddy's hair turned canary yellow, and I giggled despite my somewhat bad mood.

"Okay, Teddy, you can go with me. Nova, you go with Ron."

We nodded and made our way outside and past the Anti-Apparition charms that Andromeda had placed around the house (thinking her name made me wince mentally. Damn, I was going to miss the hell out of her). Speaking of which…

"Ron, what did you do with Andromeda's body?" I asked quietly.

He turned to me in surprise. "I put her in a body bag. Your bloody rotten cousin must have taken her when he left."

I nodded slowly. "Oh," was all I could say.

Once we got outside the house's protective charms, I gripped Ron's arm as tight as I could. He turned on the spot, and _oh_, dear sweet Merlin, the sensation was horrible. I felt like I was being squeezed through a tight rubber tube. My lungs felt like they were being compressed, I was sure I was going to suffocate–

Then it was over. I let out the breath I had been holding and looked around. There, on top of the hill, was Malfoy Manor, the place I, unfortunately, called home.

In the distance, I could just make out several Ministry officials standing on the front step and ringing the door bell. The door opened, and a house-elf escorted them in.

I looked to Harry nervously. He nodded encouragingly, and the four of us set off towards the mansion, a terrible sense of foreboding within each of us.


	13. Chapter 13

**ENJOY! ;D**

**and review :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

When we reached the door, I walked right in, not bothering with the doorbell. The others followed. I pushed the house-elf that was asking for my coat out of the way and moved down the hall into the drawing room, where my aunt and uncle were sitting and talking to a few Ministry officials, who immediately stood, drew their wands and pointed them at me. Harry and Ron took theirs out also.

"Not yet," Harry said in an attempt to placate them. "She can explain."

"The time for explanations has passed, Potter," snapped a gray-haired wizard in a croaky voice. "She's a criminal. Now hand over your wand, girl. It will make things a lot easier for all involved."

I shook my head defiantly. "No. Not until I have a chance to explain myself."

The wizard clenched his jaw, turned to his colleagues, who seemed to have to taken my side. He nodded and gestured for me to start talking. I opened my mouth to speak but I was interrupted by Narcissa, who stood up and glared at me through her narrowed light blue eyes.

"You used an Unforgivable Curse on your own mother! How can you possibly justify that?" she shouted. "And what about all that underage magic? I'm not surprised at all that you've been expelled!"

"The curse didn't have any effect. I didn't have the willpower to inflict any kind of pain," I said through gritted teeth. "And the underage magic was used in self-defense. Besides, I was defending two other people." _One of which I didn't manage to._

Lucius laughed without any humor. "You didn't have the willpower," he muttered. "I knew you were worthless."

"Well, thanks for your honesty," I snarled. I turned to the Aurors and continued. "What I mean to say is that I used that curse because I was angry. You would be to if someone killed your aunt." Tears burned in my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. I was _not _going to cry in front of these people.

"Andromeda… is dead?" Narcissa asked blankly, as if she couldn't comprehend the words.

"She… well…" I couldn't say it. If I did, I was going to break down. I looked to Harry desperately. Teddy stepped forward and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "You don't have to say it," he whispered.

"Yes, Bellatrix killed her early this morning in an attempt to get to Nova," Harry explained. "That woman lacks anything resembling a conscience," he muttered bitterly. "Her own sister, for Merlin's sake…"

Narcissa sat back down next to Lucius and buried her face in her hands. A moment later, she let out a heartbroken sob. "Andy…" she whispered.

I was thoroughly shocked. She had disowned Andromeda for marrying a man that the family considered "unworthy," and she was crying over it? I mean, I knew it was her sister, but she had said herself that she was much closer to Bellatrix than Andromeda.

Thus, I had no idea what made me walk over to the woman that I had thoroughly disliked all through the years, sit down on the arm of the chair, and hesitantly pat her on the shoulder. "Shh… shh…" I said in an attempt to soothe her. A minute or so later, she looked up. Our eyes met, and the look she gave me clearly said, "I'm sorry."

"My eyes deceive me," I heard Teddy mutter, dumbfounded. Harry chuckled under his breath.

Lucius was thinking along the same lines. He blinked several times before coming back to reality.

The Aurors, on the other hand, were standing the corner conversing, ignoring us completely. Their voices would rise occasionally, and I'd catch something like "Maybe…" or, "Absolutely not!"

Narcissa stood up, as did I. She wrapped her arms around me, and I returned the gesture. "You have no idea how sorry I am," she whispered in my ear.

"I forgive you," I replied quietly. "You're the only family I've got that's actually halfway decent."

We broke off and smiled tentatively at each other. I knew that things were going to be a lot different between the two of us. _So you _did _care after all_, whispered that little voice that could have been my conscience.

The gray-haired Auror cleared his throat; apparently they had finished talking. All heads turned to him.

"We are going to send an owl to the Ministry and ask if Miss Lestrange can be pardoned for the time being. She will still have to go to trial, however," he explained stiffly.

"What does that mean, exactly?" I asked. "Can I keep my wand?"

He nodded. "Yes, you may. For the time being."

I smiled, a sudden, great happiness filling me. _Well, things are going my way for once in my life._

Harry clapped his hands together. "Brilliant! So, I believe your work is done here, Dawlish."

"I believe so," he agreed reluctantly. Sending me a slightly dirty look, he snapped his fingers and walked out, his colleagues following him.

Teddy came over to my side and patted me on the back. "Well, at least you're somewhat free."

"Yeah…" I agreed breathlessly, still riding the sudden joy filling me up.

Narcissa spoke, her expression confused. "And who are you?"

"Teddy Lupin, your great-nephew," he replied, holding out a hand.

"The werewolf's son?" Lucius cut in.

"Yes," Teddy answered stiffly. I noticed that he always got testy when someone mentioned his father's lycanthropy, though I knew that fact didn't bother him at all. The prejudice and fear of werewolves is what irked him.

I thought I heard Lucius come back with, "The _scum _that exists in our world now…" Thank Merlin Teddy didn't seem to hear it though. He would've flipped.

Narcissa took Teddy's outstretched hand tentatively and shook it. "Pleasure to meet you," she told him hesitantly. "I have a question, though," she added. "Why is your hair blue?"

I snickered and Teddy cracked a smile. "I'm a metamorphmagus. I can change my appearance at will." By means of demonstration, he screwed up his face in concentration, and his hair changed to a violent shade of purple. His eyes turned from their normal brown to a bright shade of green. Narcissa's eyes were like saucers. I broke out into a spasm of silent laughter, trying not to laugh too loud. Harry's expression was bemused, and Ron's was fascinated.

"So, what do you think?" Teddy asked, still smiling.

"If you choose to see a lot of him, you'll have to get used to it," I choked out, still trying to contain my amusement.

"Yes… yes, I will," she replied breathlessly, still staring at Teddy's purple hair.

I smiled, happier than I could ever remember.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The week or so before my trial was pretty much one of the worst.

The wait was agonizing. I pretty much spent most of the day shut in my room, thinking about what could happen. I tried to focus on the good, I really did. But it just wasn't easy when the bad was blatantly obvious. It was strictly illegal to practice _any _Unforgivable Curse, even if you used it in the spur of the moment without really meaning to. Unless Harry or Aunt Narcissa came up with a freaking awesome defense, it would be off to Azkaban I go.

Teddy went to live with Victoire's parents since his grandmother died (even though I wasn't really one to get emotional, ever since Andromeda died, not only had my hatred for my mother increased considerably, I had done my fair share of crying) since my darling (note the sarcasm) uncle tended to mutter under his breath about werewolves and abominations when Teddy was in the room. Eventually, the poor kid got to where he couldn't stand it anymore and packed up and left when Victoire's father's letter came in telling him he could stay with them.

Speaking of Victoire, we had been writing back and forth, and she wasn't all that shocked when I told her that my mother had come to call.

_I told you to expect something like this_, she had reminded me. _I'm really sorry about your aunt, but to be honest? It's not much of a shock._

I had to admit that she was right. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that kept telling me that I should've expected something like this. But of course, I didn't want to believe it.

In an attempt to clear my head, I decided to take a walk down to a small pond near the manor. As I trudged through the snow that covered the ground, the trees, and everything else it could reach, I reminisced. I thought about all the good times I had with Victoire and Teddy, the sort-of-good Christmas holidays I'd had with my family, and realized that my life hadn't sucked as much as I thought it had. Yeah, my parents were insane fugitives, but at least I had a roof over my head.

When I reached the iced-over pond, I brushed the snow off of a log with a gloved hand and sat down, still thinking. About fifteen minutes later, someone tapped my shoulder, startling me out of my reverie. I jumped and the person said, "I'm sorry!" The voice was male with a Scottish accent.

I turned around. The guy was about my age – maybe a year or two older. He had auburn hair and striking olive green eyes. He smiled, showing white, even teeth. And it was pretty obvious that he was a Muggle, since most of the magical population flinched and walked away as quickly as possible once they realized who I was. I looked so much like my mother that it terrified people.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I just wanted to ask you if I could sit down next to you." He gestured to the empty spot next to me.

"Sure," I said breathlessly, still trying to bring my heart rate down to an even level. "Be my guest."

He brushed the snow off the other end of the log and sat down, shivering. After a moment, he said, "My name is Daniel Cauldwell. What's yours? I don't think I've seen you around before." He was a talker.

Nova wasn't a common name for a Muggle (which I was trying to make out I was), and I couldn't exactly avoid the question, so I fibbed. "Nancy." It was close enough. I didn't bother with a last name.

Daniel noticed my hesitation; his eyebrows furrowed slightly, causing his forehead to pucker a bit, but he let it go. "Nice to meet you." He paused. "I haven't seen you around before. It's a small town, so I figure I would have."

"I keep to myself." It was true. I rarely left the house when I was home.

"I see."

It was silent for a minute, then Daniel spoke and his voice was blunt. "Are you lying to me?"

Startled, I looked at with wide eyes. "What?"

"You heard me."

I hesitated, which probably wasn't helping my case any. "I… well…" I shot up off the log. "I gotta go," I said quickly, walking off in the opposite direction.

"I didn't mean to upset you!" His voice was apologetic. "I just want the truth!"

I turned back to him. "Ask me no questions and I tell you no lies."

I started walking again in the direction of the manor, my mind spinning. _He's way too curious for his own good. _

Yet I still found him an interesting person. Could I avoid him long enough for him to forget about me?

Only time could tell. Besides, I had other problems…


	15. Chapter 15

**Yeah, yeah I know, I haven't updated in a long time. Life sucks, you know?**

**Well, I hope you enjoy it regardless of my ridiculously long abscence! RRR! (read, review, recommend!)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

The day was upon me.

I woke up that morning, warm and content in my bed, not a care in the world. Then, like the bitch it is, reality slammed into my brain. The trial was today, at ten o'clock, and I almost knew for a fact I was going to be sleeping on the cold, stone floors of Azkaban tonight.

I showered and dressed slowly, trying to make the clock slow down. I came down the stairs dragging my feet. Aunt Narcissa was waiting in the drawing room.

"Good morning," she greeted me.

"What's so good about it?" I snapped, sitting down on the loveseat with my arms crossed.

"At least you're not in Azkaban."

"Yet," I added.

"We're not going to let them take you there," she promised. She sat next to me, taking my hands in hers. "Yes, what you did was unlawful, but I talked to Harry last night, and he thinks he has a good defense for you."

"Like what?"

Just then, Harry appeared, leaning against the doorframe. "I was thinking that I could tell the court about the murder of Andromeda Tonks, and that I know who did it. It's all in the power of distraction."

I snorted in disbelief. "Do you honestly think that's going to work? Minister Shacklebolt isn't that stupid."

"I'm aware of that. I know the man on a personal basis. But we have two eyewitnesses to your aunt's murder – you and Teddy. That should be enough proof to distract them from the matter at hand – your… well, you know."

"I don't know about this…" I muttered.

"Nova, think about it," Harry urged, sitting down beside me. "If you can help subdue and capture Bellatrix Lestrange, that would be like repaying the Ministry for your wrongdoing. They will most likely clear you of all charges if we can steer the conversation in the right direction."

"I can't control minds, and neither can you," I argued. "This plan will never work. It's hopeless." In the back of my mind, I knew I was being ridiculously negative, but Harry's plan just seemed too good to be true. And besides, what chance did we have of tricking the court into letting me go?

"I do believe that Mr. Potter's plan is a rather good one, myself," said a smooth voice.

Lo and behold, there was my uncle, actually _agreeing _with Harry. I couldn't believe my ears.

"In fact," he continued, "I have a particular talent for directing conversation, as some might know. I could come along and see if I can be of any help."

"Yeah, sure," I said sarcastically. "The Ministry would just _love _to hear what the ex-Death Eater has to say. To be honest, uncle, I think you would be more of a hindrance than a help."

Narcissa looked worried for some reason. I glanced back at my uncle, whose gray eyes had a certain fire behind them – the fire that showed that he was aching to yell and scream at me for throwing his past mistakes back in his face. I really shouldn't have said that, but hey, it's true. The Ministry wouldn't believe him if he even tried to open his mouth.

"That… is of no consequence, young lady," he hissed.

I just shrugged and put my face in my hands. _This is hopeless. _I felt my aunt's well-manicured nails dig into my shoulder as she attempted to comfort me. Her touch seemed to calm me a little, but not enough to give me any optimism.

"Well, we should be going," Harry mumured. "Mr. Malfoy, are you coming with us?"

"She _is _ my niece, Potter," he replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world that he'd be tagging along to watch my misery unfold.

"Alright, then." I looked up to see Harry check his watch. "Well, we're leaving in about a half an hour, so be ready by then." He gave me a warm, encouraging smile and left the room. Uncle Lucius followed him out, glancing at me with an unreadable expression.

"Do you want something to eat? I'll have the elves whip something up," Narcissa offered.

"No, it's fine. I'm not hungry." My stomach was turning so much I was afraid that, if I ate, I would be sick.

"Are you sure?"

I heaved a sigh. "Yeah."

I left the room, wanting to just escape to my room until it was time to leave, but apparently, that wasn't meant to be.

I heard one of the elves offering to take off someone's coat; a snide voice refusing the offer rather rudely echoed around the foyer. There was my cousin, Draco, with his son, Scorpius next to him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Can't I come to my own house?" he snapped.

"In case you haven't heard, I'm going to trial, and your parents are coming with me, along with Harry," I added, hoping to scare him off with his worst enemy.

"Oh, that's today?" he asked, like the clueless bastard he is.

"Yeah, didn't you know? Oh, of course you didn't, 'cause you don't give a damn unless it concerns you!"

"Don't start fighting, you two," I heard Narcissa from behind me. "How are you, Draco? Come here, Scorpius, come give Grandma a hug!"

The boy ran up to his grandmother and threw his arms around her neck. Draco smiled – genuinely smiled, not the smirk that was so common for him he ought to put a trademark on it. I felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside at the sight, and I figured that even if I did go to Azkaban, I'd still know that I had family – even if they were some of the most dysfunctional people I've ever known.

I smiled. Everything was going to be okay.


End file.
